How to Rank a Website Locally - Local SEO Guide [Infographic]

Tired of getting your butt kicked when competing for customers locally? Are you baffled by how you get outranked each and every time by other local businesses when potential clients perform a search?

Well look no further, you have just discovered how to rise above your competitors. The secret is local SEO, (search engine optimization), and the infographic guide below will take you through the process, step-by-step. You will learn everything you need to know to rank first in local search results, and how to hold on to that ranking.

Before you jump into the infographic, let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

Top 3 Local Ranking Factors

The first thing you need to understand about local SEO are the elements that affect your local ranking. Based on a study published by Moz, the top 3 local ranking factors are:

On-Page Signals – When ranking your website for local search, Google looks at on-page signals first and foremost. This means what is most important to them are the following: Domain Authority (the strength of your domain name), whether or not you used applicable keywords in your titles and content, and how you present your business name, address, and phone number (NAP).
Link Signals – Coming in at a very close second are your link signals. This includes the quantity and quality of sites that link to yours. The relationship is directly proportional, meaning the higher the quality and quantity of sites that link to yours, the higher the probability that your search rank will increase. The downside is that it’s a double-edged sword, so if a lot of not-so-credible sites link to yours, it could actually negatively affect your local search rank. Another factor here is the anchor texts used for inbound links.
My Business Signals – In third place are elements on your Google My Business Page. These are easy enough to ace though, since all you really need to do is keep everything updated, and accurate on your GMB page. Keyword usage on your GMB page may also contribute to your local search ranking.

Top 3 Tips for Local SEO

Now you are aware of the most important factors that affect your rank in local search results. Now let’s take a look at how you can use this information to improve your local search ranking.

We’ve learned that keywords are crucial, as are quality links, and accurate up-to-date information. Now it’s time to get to work on improving your search rank with the following local SEO tips:

Improve Your GMB Page – Make sure you use high-quality images, and include your accurate business name, address, and contact numbers on your page. Refine your business description, and include keywords relevant to your business, and location.
Improve Your Link Profile – To get more high-quality local links, become more involved in your local community, and gain trust by participating in local events, and joining local organizations. If any spammy, or not-so-credible websites link to you, ask them to remove the links.
Improve Your Website – Include your accurate NAP on your website, and use your business and location keywords in your content, titles, and meta content. Also make sure that all content on your website is high quality, updated, and accurate.

Find out more about local SEO, and how it can help your business be more successful in the infographic local SEO guide below.

Image courtesy: Shane Barker

Author Profile

Shane Barker

Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, product launches, sales funnels, targeted traffic and website conversions. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.